This is exactly the kind of fundamental troubleshooting that people don't seem to be taught anymore (myself included).  Kudos and thank you for sharing!  I for one would love to see more articles like this.    Whenever I try to walk a customer through a system check, I always worry that I'm insulting their intelligence by explaining basic troubleshooting steps.  But the most common reply I get is "Oh... I never thought to try that!"    (The next most common reply is "No, it CAN'T be that." Translation: I don't want to / don't know how to check that.  Bonus tip: Any time you're SURE it CAN'T be that, IT'S THAT. And the more sure you are, the more money I'll bet that it's that.)   ... View more

A group of Spec Miatas is a pinata party.  A pinata of Miatas.  ... View more

My older brother cheated at Risk and probably at Monopoly, but being 9 years younger I never caught him. The time I finally questioned the number of dice we were rolling in Risk was the last time we played.  (I must have been right.) He had Dealer's Choice but my only memory of it is looking at the box. I wonder if he knew there was little opportunity to guarantee a win? Another "car themed" game: Mille Bornes. It's a draw-a-card game of driving cross-country.  Draw an out-of-gas card, play a spare tire card, and collect miles until you reach 1000.  It seemed so much fun as a kid but what an impossibly endless bore as an adult (at least as an adult who finally read the directions). It seems to be designed for those "game nights" when your parents really wanted to get together with the neighbors and chat rather than concentrate on playing a game.  Definitely not a game for two people who have already been locked in a house together for three months.   ... View more

Soften heavy, greasy gunk with your favorite penetrating oil (WD, JB, Kroil, Rost Off, whatevs) before you reach for the cleaner.  Cleaners typically pull out the oils, which just makes the gunk more solid.  Saturate it with spray oil (let it soak if needed) and wipe with paper towels. Repeat until it's clean.  Yes, it will probably take a couple of tries, but it will leave a shiny finish which will protect against corrosion.  You might even decide to skip the cleaner and leave it as-is.   ... View more